A master at changing speeds and controlling his pitches, Stu Miller was a remarkable rookie for the 1952 Cardinals. He earned complete-game wins in each of his first three appearances for St. Louis, yielding a total of one earned run.
In a 16-year big-league career, primarily with the Giants and Orioles, Miller produced 105 wins and 154 saves, led the National League in ERA (2.47) in 1958 and led each league in saves (a NL-best 17 in 1961 and an American League-high 27 in 1963).
It was the Cardinals, though, who developed him and brought him to the majors.
This post is a tribute to the Cardinals career of Stu Miller, 87, who died Jan. 4, 2015.
Road to Redbirds
At 21, Miller signed with the Cardinals in 1949 after attending a tryout camp in his home state, Massachusetts.
He quickly rose through their minor-league system, posting records of 16-13 with Class D Hamilton in 1950, 13-10 with Class B Winston-Salem in 1951 and 11-5 with Class AAA Columbus in 1952.
After winning eight of his last 10 starts at Columbus for manager Johnny Keane, Miller, 24, was promoted to the Cardinals in August 1952. Cardinals manager Eddie Stanky was surprised to see his new right-hander was slight (5 feet 10, 150 pounds) and, according to St. Louis writer Bob Broeg, “looks more like a ribbon clerk than a pitcher.”
Dazzling debut
Stanky tabbed Miller to make his big-league debut in a start against the Cubs at Chicago on Aug. 12, 1952.
“Stu’s got ice water in his veins,” Cardinals pitcher Harry Brecheen said to The Sporting News. “I went over the Chicago lineup with him at dinner before his first major-league start and asked him if he’d be nervous. ‘Maybe for one pitch,’ he told me. But the way he curved that first strike past Tommy Brown, I don’t think he was tense at all.”
Miller struck out Brown and settled into a groove, baffling the Cubs with a fastball, changeup and curve.
In the bottom of the ninth, with the Cardinals ahead, 1-0, the Cubs put runners on first and third with two outs. Brecheen was warming in the bullpen.
With Bill Serena at the plate, Stanky went to the mound and stared into the eyes of Miller.
“I’m all right,” Miller told the manager.
Stanky stayed with Miller.
Serena worked the count to 3-and-2. Miller threw a fastball and Serena struck out, ending the game and securing the shutout win for Miller. Boxscore
“I warmed up in the ninth inning and worked up more of a sweat than he did pitching nine innings,” Brecheen said of Miller.
The Cubs were limited to six hits _ five singles and a Hank Sauer double _ and two walks. Sauer, who would win the 1952 NL Most Valuable Player Award, had three of the Cubs’ hits.
“I bet he showed me eight or nine different speeds,” Cardinals catcher Del Rice said of Miller. “He was really right when he said he could get his slow stuff over nine out of every 10 pitches.”
Plenty of poise
Five days later, Aug. 17, 1952, Miller made his second start, facing the Reds at St. Louis.
Again, he took a shutout into the ninth.
This time, with the Cardinals ahead, 2-0, the Reds put runners on first and second with two outs.
The batter, Roy McMillan, hit a grounder to shortstop Solly Hemus, who booted the ball, retrieved it and then made a wild throw. Joe Adcock scored from second, Andy Seminick went from first to third and McMillan made it to second.
Miller, who would have had his second consecutive shutout if Hemus hadn’t made two errors on the play, now had two runners in scoring position and a one-run lead.
With Bob Borkowski at the plate, Stanky went to the mound and peered into the eyes of Miller.
“I’ll get him out,” Miller said.
Borkowski struck out looking, giving Miller his second straight complete-game win and the Cardinals a 2-1 victory. Boxscore
“He must be more than 24,” Stanky said of Miller, “because he’s too smart and too calm to be that young.”
Said Cardinals farm director Joe Mathes, who was among those who had recommended the Cardinals call up Miller: “Hitting is timing and how the hell can they time something that comes up there at a different speed each time?”
It’s Miller time
In his third start, Aug. 22, 1952, against the Giants at St. Louis, Miller pitched another gem _ striking out nine in a complete-game three-hitter _ and got the win in a 3-1 Cardinals victory.
This time, the ninth was relatively uneventful for Miller, who, with one out and a runner at first, struck out the final two batters. Boxscore
After his first three appearances in the big leagues, Miller was 3-0 with a 0.33 ERA in 27 innings.
In his fourth start, a 4-3 Dodgers triumph over the Cardinals on Aug. 26, 1952, Miller took the loss, even though he again pitched well, holding Brooklyn to four hits and striking out 10 in another complete game. Two of the four Dodgers runs were unearned. Boxscore
Miller finished 6-3 with a 2.05 ERA for the 1952 Cardinals.
Ended as started
The remainder of his Cardinals career wasn’t nearly as successful. Miller was 7-8 with a 5.56 ERA for St. Louis in 1953 and 2-3 with a 5.79 ERA in 1954. He spent the 1955 season at Class AAA Omaha, where he was 17-14 pitching again for Keane.
With an 0-1 record and 4.91 ERA for the 1956 Cardinals, Miller was traded with pitchers Harvey Haddix and Ben Flowers to the Phillies for pitchers Murry Dickson and Herm Wehmeier.
In four seasons with St. Louis, Miller was 15-15 with seven saves and a 4.47 ERA in 74 games, including 33 starts. In 16 years with the Cardinals, Phillies, Giants, Orioles and Braves, Miller was 105-103 with a 3.24 ERA.
At age 40 in 1968, Miller ended his professional playing career as it started _ in the Cardinals organization. Released by the Braves, Miller signed with the Cardinals’ Class AAA Tulsa team, managed by Warren Spahn, and was 1-2 with a 6.43 ERA in 13 games.
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